The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-06-17

loI Tue camp Inc WnOIe looks ike little
village.
The model lumbcrman cuts his roads before
the snow falls, but some wait until they finish
saving before they think of roads. All the
men in n lumber camp are divided in different
gangs, about as follows:
One man generally a foreman,) goes a.
head and marks the trees which are intended
to be cut down. Two or more gangs oftwo
sawyers each, follow him, with axe and cross
cut saws. These fell the trees and cut them
up into various lengths, seldom less than
~ feet.) Two sawyers will average from 80
TO 30 logs per day. The sawyers are followed
by a man who cuts the limbs and pecls the
bark off one end Of the logs, to make them
slide easier. The peeer in turn is followed
by man who selects, clears and prepares
proper spots for pilng the logs. Two long
thick poles are cut and laid parallel to each
other about ten feet apart, one end resting
upon the ground, the other is raised about
feet. This is called a skidway. The place
selected for skidway is generally in ravine,
so that the parallel poles are almost level.
Two or three men now come along and
cut trails about or 5 feet wide from this
skidway TO the different logs, and also clear
sufficient space around the logs, so they can
be rolled upon low sleigh, called drag or
crotch. This consists of two low runners,
joined in front, and also connected through
4 by beam about feet long.
The log is rolled upon this by two men
(called Chalmers and fastened down with q
chain. 1t is then hauled to and rolled upon
the skidway, where it remains, until all the
logs for the season are cut, generally about
Christmas.
A skidway holds from 20 to $50 logs. The
roads are cut, so as 10 pass in front of all the
sideways, mostly following little stream or
ravine, which wends its way towards a river
or creek OF sufficient importance to float the
logs into the lakes.
About Christmas or New Years the haul
ing begins. Snow-plows and snow-shovels
are busy keeping the roads free from too
much snow. AT night, n tank filled with
water is hauled over the roads and water let
into the sleigh-,racks. By morning this is
turned into solid ice and the sleighs slide
easily.
The logs are piled into the bed OF The river
and along its banks, where they remain until
the breaking up of the ice in the spring.
Dams are built above each landing place
to collect water enough 10 carry the logs into
the lake. Sometimes the logs freeze so tight
together, that dynamite has to be employed
to get them started.
Several men follow the logs upon their
course down the river to keep them from
stranding. Arrived in the lake the logs are
put into RATS and towed TO the sawmilis.
The logging season is divided into three
periods commonly, the skidding-time, haul
ing-tme and the drive.
The men are pretty well fed, though prin-
cipally on sultmeat They all seem fond of
cakes and pies. Here is list of what was
used in one week in one camp with crew
of about Go men: Flour barrels; beef
barrels pork barrel; fish barrel; potatoes
~ bushels turnips bushels ;peas 90 quarts;
beans barrel; sugar 60 lbs. ; tea 8 lbs; but
ter 1G5 lbs. ; molasses gallons ;dried apples
Is lbs. currans 90 lbs. besides lot of lard,
fruit and spices.
Sawmill owners generally buy the timber
land and pay their contractors about S. per
600 feet, delivered at the lake. In the camp
which have tried TO describe about 1000, 900
feet of lumber were cut last winter.
The pines here are sometimes of an enor-
nous size. The largest log saw, was IA feet
long and contained 800 feet. | saw stump
which, when standing, had to be notchod
considerably in each side to allow 7 feet
crosscutsaw sufficient playroom, to bring
the giant down. CAR VENICE.